Teachers Share their Experiences While Living Abroad!

If you have been around Korea for a while and have the determination to wake up early in the morning, you may have noticed the many Koreans on the subway with their hiking gear on. Hiking and mountain climbing are some of Korea’s favorite pastimes. When I first came to Korea, I was overweight and didn’t have a lot of money for a gym membership. A really good friend of mine said we should hike together. I was dreading exercise, but I was so happy with my decision to do it. I got so into hiking, I lost about 15 kilograms (33 lbs.) over five months. Instead of staying in and working out at the gym, one day a week I do my best to get outdoors and do some hiking. These are my top 3 mountains to climb if you are a novice like how I was.

Before I came to Korea, I was not much of a hiker. However, soon after arriving, I realized that hiking is a major pasttime here. There are tons of hiking supply stores, and everyone, especially older Korean people, have their own gear. Hiking shoes, shirts, hats, pants, walking sticks; Koreans know their hiking tools. So although I'm not a huge hiker, I wanted to explore more of the Busan's nature than the beaches. There are tons of trails, but my friend personally recommended visiting Geumgang Park, both for the spectacular views, and the ride up on the cablecar!

With about 70% of the Korean peninsula covered with mountains, the hiking culture dominates the the Land of Kimchi. In my spare time from teaching English, I went for a short hike up Mt. Dobongsan near my home a few weeks ago. I have a ways to go if I want to start calling myself a "hiker", but here are my thoughts thus far...

With so many mountains in Seoul, it is my goal to hike every mountain while teaching English in Korea. I've already checked off 11 on my list, not even halfway there, but I wanted to share with the rest of the world my experience. Excuse my horrible navigation, I still haven't been able to map out Seoul in my head, but I present to you, a glimpse of Gwanak San!